


Sunshine. Daisies. Buttermellow.

by Frostyunicorn300



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book Based, Dudley is an asshole, Dursley character, Eventual Romance, Eventual relationship, Everyone I care about lives, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humour, Fred Weasley Lives, Harry is a good cousin, Herbology, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff Character, Muggle-born, Nymphadora Tonks Lives, Protective Harry, Protective Ron Weasley, Ron is a cutie, Slow Build, The Dursley's are abusive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-25 20:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12541052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostyunicorn300/pseuds/Frostyunicorn300
Summary: Daisy Dursley, Dudley's little sister and Harry Potter's cousin finds out shes a witch. When her parents find out she escapes with Harry in the Weasley's enchanted car.The next few years are spent by her cousins side, trying to ignore the teasing of her brother and put up with the coldness from her parents as she continues to complete her schooling, but it doesn't go as smoothly as she anticipated it would with the rise of Voldemort just around the corner.(Sorry about the hiatus. There will be a new chapter on Saturday.)





	1. "Dear Ms. Dursley.."

Daisy tugged at her sun dress, it was orange and had cami-straps, everything she hated, but her mother picked it out so she had to wear it. Daisy was a sweet little thing who enjoyed plants and cinnamon in her drinks. She had blonde hair and green eyes like her mother but didn't show any signs of growing tall like her, she was short and thin with an angels face, however her brother, Dudley was at least four times the size of his sister and cousin which made them look even smaller in comparison. She had bandaids on her knees, dirt under her fingernails and cable socks scrunched around brown boots.   
Daisy turned eleven in mid May, a little over a month before her cousin Harry came home from his wizard school. Daisy always wondered what it would've been like if she got a letter.   
She liked her cousin, she hated that her parents disliked him and tried to exclude him from family activities.   
Her parents Petunia and Vernon Dursley tried so hard to make Daisy disinterested in magic and all things magical but it only strengthened her liking. Every year for Halloween she was a witch or a fairy or even a unicorn.   
She found herself home alone one morning, she turned the tv off when she saw the mail fall onto the floor. Picking it up she shifted through it, bill, bill, bill, two Hogwarts letters...wait two Hogwarts letters? She looked at the name on the second expecting to see Harry's but it was her own.   
She turned it over and stared at the wax seal. She set the rest of the mail on the dining room table and read the first page.   
"Dear Ms. Dursley.   
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.  
Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall."   
She ran up the stairs and entered Harry's bedroom, slamming the door shut.   
"Daisy? Whats wrong?"   
She handed him his letter and the second opened one.   
"Who's is this?"   
"Mine." She said.   
"You're a..."  
"Uh-huh..." she sat down on his bed.  
He sat down next to her.   
"It said I have to send a letter...how?"  
"By owl but Hedwig..."   
Daisy left his bedroom and came back a second later with a key.   
She scribbled her letter and Harry wrote the necessary information on the envelope.   
"Hurry Hedwig." He told his owl.   
She sat on his bed and went through the second page. Her uniform, books, equipment. She put the page down when it occurred to her about the reality of her situation.   
"Oh God...oh God what will my parents think?" She ran her fingers through her blonde locks, blinking back tears. "I-I mean what if they kick me out? Or disown me? What if they lock me away?" She continued to ramble on. Harry sat beside her and pulled his cousin into a hug. It'll be okay. I promise."   
When her parents and brother came home she ran into her room beside Harry's and hid the letters behind her sock drawer and went downstairs to greet her family.   
Hedwig came back in the night, Daisy locked her back in her cage and put the key back in her parents room. 

The following morning they gathered for breakfast with Harry serving as usual. Above them Harry's owl Hedwig squawked which angered her father. "Third time this week!" He roared across the table. "If you can't control that owl, it'll have to go!"   
Harry tried to explained, "she's bored, if I could only let her out for an hour or two-"  
"Do I look stupid?" Her father snarled, a bit of breakfast was dangling from his moustache. "I know what'll happen if you let that bird out."   
Harry tried to say something else but he was drowned out by her brother, Dudley.   
"I want more bacon." He demanded.   
"There's more in the frying pan sweetums." Her mother said. "We must feed you up while we have the chance, I don't like the sound of that school food."  
"Nonsense Petunia. I never went hungry while I was at Smeltings." Her father said heartily. "You get enough, don't you son?"   
Her brother, who was so large his bottom drooped over the chair, grinned at Harry.   
"Pass the frying pan."  
"You've forgotten the magic word." Harry said, irritated.   
'Oh no...' Daisy thought, she looked at Her parents and shrunk down in her chair, half eaten breakfast, forgotten.   
Her brother gasped and fell out of his chair, it was loud enough to shake the kitchen. Her mother let out a small scream and clasped her hand to her mouth. Her father jumped to his feet.   
"I meant please!" Harry said quickly. "I didn't mean-"  
"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU." Her father thundered. "ABOUT SAYING THE M WORD IN OUR HOUSE?"  
"But I-"  
"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN DUDLEY?" He pounded his fist on the table.   
"I just-" Harry tried again.   
"I WARNED YOU! I WILL NOT TOLERATE MENTION OF YOUR ABNORMALITY UNDER THIS ROOF!"   
Daisy stared at her purple faced father and pale mother who was trying to help Dudley up to his feet.  
"Alright." Harry said. "Alright."   
Daisy looked at her cousin sadly, their green eyes met for a moment and she remembered the birthday card she had made him was up in her room. She made him a card every year.

"Now let's go over our schedule for tonight, shall we? Petunia when the Masons arrive you will be...?"  
"...in the lounge, waiting to welcome them graciously into our home."   
"Good! And- and Dudley, you will be...?  
"I'll be waiting to open the door!"   
"Excellent, and Daisy, what will you be doing?"  
"I will be as sweet and as perfect as possible." She said with a little smile on her lips.   
"Right you are! ...And you...?" He turned to her cousin.   
"I'll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending that I don't exist."   
"Too right, you will. With any luck, this could well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career. And you will not mess it up!"

 

After breakfast Daisy ran upstairs to get Harry the card she made, when she came back downstairs her brother was yelling. "MUUUUUM! MUUUM! He's doing you know what!"   
Her mother went outside in the backyard and almost hit Harry with the soapy pan she held in her boney hands. She gave him an abundance of chores and promised he wouldn't eat again until he was finished with them.   
Before he started his work Daisy slipped out the door and walked over to her cousin.   
She reached down into her sock and pulled out the card.   
"Happy birthday, Cous."   
"Thanks, Cous."  
They had a laugh but shortly after her mother yelled outside.   
"Daisy, flower! I need you to come help me with something!"  
"Coming mum!" She waved bye and went back inside.   
"Could you marinate the pork for me? I have to step upstairs for a moment."  
"Sure thing, mum."   
She poured the honey dijon marinade in a large ziplock bag and put the meat in. She tossed it for a minute before placing the bag in the fridge. Her mother came downstairs and pat her on the head. "Well done, Flower. Run along now, and no talking to Potter."  
"Yes mum."   
Daisy went up the stairs and flopped down on her bed, her sheets had daisies on them, covered by a yellow blanket. She had fairy lights around the ceiling that rested on the walls, her window had translucent white curtains, beside her window was a white whicker chair with a pillow and blanket on it. She had plants all around her room, on the desk, floor, hanging on the walls as well as many plant books. She had a garment rack that she kept her coats, jumpers and shoes on. Over all her room was warm.   
She tended to her plants, she had all kinds, ferns, succulents, Chinese evergreen, hibiscuses, peace lilies, even a couple cacti and others. 

 

At half passed seven her mother called for her to get ready.   
She went through her dresses, her mother picked a frilly pink thing for her to wear, with a shrug she tossed the dress over her shoulder and picked what she wanted, a laser cut out scalloped hem dress in yellow.   
She wore brown flats and a gold bubble heart necklace.   
From downstairs she heard the doorbell.   
"May I take your coats, Mr and Mrs Mason." Her brother said.   
She heard her mothers laugh as she went downstairs.   
"Ah, Mr Mason, this is my daughter Daisy." Her father introduced.   
"Aren't you a pretty thing." Mrs Mason cooed and went to pinch her cheek.   
"Thank you ma'am. I love your dress."   
"Oh thank you."   
Daisy turned around with a smile and walked into the kitchen.   
"Oh she is just darling?"  
"Isn't she?" 

They settled down for dinner, it was going well until they heard thumping from upstairs and voices.   
"Excuse me." Her father stood up and lumbered up the stairs.   
When he came back dinner resumed normally, jokes were made, wine was drank. There was a splat and a crash from the kitchen, her mother let out a scream. Her father opened the kitchen door, Harry was covered in the dessert that would have been served.  
"I'm sorry, Its our nephew, he's very disturbed, meeting strangers upsets him so we kept him upstairs." Her father said, trying to save their dinner party and it would've worked had it not been for the barn owl that flew through the window and landed on Mrs Masons head, she screamed and ran from the house, shouting about lunatics. Mr Mason stayed long enough to tell them that his wife was mortally afraid of birds and he wondered if this was their form of a joke. Daisy stayed in the kitchen while her father stormed into the kitchen with the letter. She heard his muffled voice and maniac like laughter.   
In the morning her father paid a man to put bars on Harry's window, instal a cat flap on his bedroom door for meals and only let him out to use the bathroom twice a day.   
After three days her parents showed no signs of relenting.   
Daisy was downstairs while her mother walked into her bedroom and began to put her clean clothes away. She tried to close the sock drawer but it became stuck, she moved it enough to stick her arm through and pulled out the letter. She looked at the broken seal and turned it over, letting out a scream of alarm. "Vernon! VERNON!" She ran down the stairs. She handed her father the letter and he stared at his daughter so darkly it would make the foulest demon shake in his shoes.   
"You!" He growled up, he grabbed Daisy up by her arm and squeezed, Daisy yelped, he dragged her up the stairs and threw her in her bedroom.   
From behind his door Harry could hear shouting and crying. The front door slammed shut and the car sped off.   
He installed a slide lock into her door and a cat flap for food, just like her cousin.   
Daisy slumped down into the corner and cried. She expected cruelty, but not like this...never this.   
At some point after five a bowl of soup was pushed through the flap. It was lukewarm but she didn't mind.   
"Daisy?" She heard, it was slightly muffled but it was enough.   
"Yeah?"  
"How are you holding up?"  
"Okay." She lied. "It could be worse."  
"They locked you up, like a prisoner."  
"They did but I could be on the street, so...this is better than that." 

 

Beside her window she heard rattling on Harry's bars. She heard the whispering. A boy said he was getting Harry out of there, Harry said he needed to get his cousin. She got out of bed and walked up to the window.   
"Dudley?" The other boy asked, a bit disgusted.   
"No, Daisy, she got her letter a few days ago."   
"Where's her bedroom?"  
"One window down." Harry said.   
She backs away and theres tapping on the glass.   
The car is filled with three redheaded boys.   
"Get what you need, c'mon."   
She filled a bag and stuffed her feet in her boots and grabbed her coat.    
Shortly after her bedroom door swung open.   
"Lets go."   
She entered Harry's room.   
"Where are we going?"  
"Home." The smaller ginger boy said.   
"I'm Ron, that's Fred and George."   
"Hi, I'm Daisy."   
"Well c'mon." Fred said.   
"Get a move on." George finished. He gently pushed the blonde towards the car and she climbed in the back seat. Hedwig screeched loudly, followed by the thunder of her father's voice. "THAT RUDDY OWL!"   
"I forgot Hedwig!" Harry said. He snatched the cage and passed it to Daisy. She held it on her lap while she sat beside close to George in the back to make room for Harry.   
Her father pounded on the door until it opened. He stood in the doorway before he bellowed angrily and dived at Harry. He ran towards the car and was almost inside but her father grabbed his ankle. "Petunia! They're getting away! THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!"   
The Weasley's gave a tug and freed Harry from Vernon's grasp. They slammed the door shut.   
"Put your foot down Fred!" Ron yelled and the car shot off into the night.


	2. The Burrow

Harry rolled down the car window.   
"See you next summer!" He yelled down to the Dursley's. The Weasley's roared with laughter.   
"Let Hedwig out." He told Daisy. "She can fly behind us."   
Daisy rolled down her window and opened her cage.   
"So..." she started. "Tell me about Hogwarts." 

                                           -   
It just started to get light outside. The flying car lowered.   
"Touchdown!" Fred said as the car hit the ground with a small bump. They landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard.   
Daisy looked out the window at Ron's house. It looked like it had once been a large stone pigsty, but extra rooms had been added here and there, until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked like it was held up by magic. Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read 'The Burrow.'   
Around the front door laid a jumble of wellington boots and a very rusty cauldron. Daisy noticed they also had several brown chickens that were quite fat and were pecking around the front door.   
"Its not much." Ron said.   
"Its brilliant." Harry said.   
"What do you think Daisy?" Ron asked.   
She looked at him with her big green eyes. "I think its wonderful."   
She grabbed her rucksack and they got out of the car.  
"Now, we'll go upstairs really quietly." Fred said. "And wait for mum to call us downstairs for breakfast. Then Ron you come bounding downstairs going 'mum, look who turned up in the night.' And she'll be pleased to see Harry and she'll meet Daisy and no one need ever know we flew the car."   
"Right." Said Ron. "C'mon I sleep at the-" Ron had gone a nasty greenish colour, his eyes blue eyes focused on the house. The other four turned around. Mrs Weasley was marching across the yard, scattering the chickens, and for a short plump kind faced woman, it was remarkable how much she resembled a sabre-tooth tiger.   
"Ah." Said Fred.   
"Oh dear." Said George.   
Mrs Weasley came to a halt in front of them, hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next. She wore a flowery apron, a wand sticking out of her pocket.   
"So." She said.  
"Morning mum." George said.   
"Have you any idea how worried I've been?" Mrs Weasley said in a rather deadly whisper. Daisy found herself start to hid behind her cousin.   
"Sorry mum, but see, we had to-"   
All three of her sons were taller than she was but they cowered as her rage broke over them. "Beds empty! No note! Car gone...could have crashed...out of my mind with worry...did you care?...never, as long as I've lived...you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy..."   
"Perfect Percy." Fred muttered.   
"YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" Mrs Weasley yelled, poking Fred's chest with her finger. "You could have died, you could have been seen...you could have lost your father his job-"   
It seemed to go on for hours. Mrs Weasley had shouted herself sore before she turned to Daisy and her cousin.   
"I'm very pleased to see you, Harry dear." She said before her eyes glued to the short blonde in a mustard yellow floral button up dress, cable socks and cork-heeled boots, her left arm was decorated with bruises.   
"And who is this?" She asked her sons.   
"Thats Daisy." Ron said. "She's Harry's cousin. Just found out she's a witch."   
Daisy smiled at the plump witch in front of her.   
"Lets just say that my parents didn't take it very well." She said, she knew Mrs Weasley saw the bruises on her arm.  
"They locked her away like they did to Harry, they put bars on their windows."   
"Oh poor dears, well come inside, lets have some breakfast."   
She turned and walked back into the house. 

The kitchen was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle, Daisy sat down on the edge of her seat, looking around, she's never been in a witch's house before.   
The clock on the wall opposite her had only one hand and no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like 'time to make tea', 'time to feed the chickens', 'you're late.'   
Books were stacked on the mantel, with titles like 'charm your own cheese', enchantment in baking and one minute feasts'.   
The old radio announced Witching Hour with popular singing sorceress Celestina Warbeck.   
Daisy giggled and turned to Harry. "This is amazing. Its amazing."   
Mrs Weasley was clattering around, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, muttering every now and then, "never would have believed it", and "don't know what you were thinking", while flashing dirty looks to her sons.   
"Now I don't blame you dears." She said to Daisy and Harry, tipping eight or nine sausages onto their plates. "Arthur and I have been worried about Harry too, just last night we we're saying we'd come and get him ourselves if he hadn't written back to Ron by Friday. But really..." she added eggs to their plate. "Flying an illegal car half way across the country - anyone could have seen you." She flicked her wand casually at the sink which began to clean itself.   
"Wow!" Daisy's eyes widened and she smiled widely at Mrs Weasley. "That was amazing!"  
"I'm just washing up dear."   
"I know but I've never seen real life magic before...just in movies and things."

At that moment a small red-headed figure in a long night dress appeared in the kitchen, she gave a small squeal and ran out.   
"Ginny." Ron said, "my sister. She's been talking about Harry all summer."   
"Yeah, she'll be wanting an autograph from Harry." Fred said with a grin.   
Nothing more was said until all five plates were clean, which took a surprisingly short time, Daisy however only ate half of her massive breakfast before handing what she hadn't eaten to Harry, she should have given it to Ron in the first place because he ended up eating it anyway.  
"Blimey I'm tired." Fred said with a yawn. "I think I'll go to bed and-"  
"You will not." Mrs Weasley snapped. "Its your own fault you've been up all night. You're going to de-gnome the garden for me, they're getting completely out of hand again."  
"Oh, mum-"  
"And you two," she said glaring at Ron and George.    
"You can go up to bed dears." She said to Daisy and Harry. "You didn't ask them to fly that wretched car."  
But Daisy wasn't tired, she exchanged a look with Harry and turned back to Mrs Weasley.   
"We could help Ron, I mean they're just gnomes."   
"I've never seen a de-gnoming-"  
"Thats very sweet of you dears, but its dull work." Mrs Weasley said. "Now lets see what Lockhart's got to say on the subject." She pulled out a heavy looking book, George groaned.   
"Mum we know how to de-gnome a garden."  
Daisy looked at the cover of Mrs Weasley's book: Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests.   
It was written across the book in fancy gold lettering, there was a photograph on the front of a good looking wizard with wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes. Daisy saw that the photograph was moving, he kept winking in the photo. Daisy looked up at Mrs Weasley in amazement, "do they always do that? The pictures I mean."   
"Of course dear."  
"Thats amazing. This is amazing."   
Mrs Weasley beamed down her and continued on with the book. "He's marvellous, he knows his household pests alright, its a wonderful book..."  
"Mum fancies him." Fred said.   
"Don't be ridiculous, Fred." Mrs Weasley said, cheeks slightly pink. "Alright if you think you know better than Lockhart, you go and get on with it, and woe betide you if there's a single gnome in that garden when I come out to inspect it."   
The Weasley boys got up from their seats, yawning and complaining and headed outside with Daisy and Harry behind them. 

The garden was large, Daisy saw that it could use some work with the weeds and the grass was long, in need of a cut. But it was what a garden should be, trees all around the walls plants that she never seen spilled from every flowerbed, there was even a pond, big and fill of frogs.   
"We have garden gnomes too, you know." She said.   
"Yeah I've seen those things muggles think are gnomes." Ron said, he was bent over with his head in a bush of peonies. "Like fat little Father Christmases with fishing rods..."   
There was a violent scuffling noise, the bush shook and Ron straightened up. "This is a gnome." He said rather grimly.   
"Gerroff me! Gerroff me!" The gnome squealed.   
It looked nothing like Father Christmas. It was small and leathery looking with a large balled head, like a potato.   
Ron held it at arms length as it kicked at him with its little feet, Ron held it in a firm grasp around the ankles and turned it upside down.   
"This is what you have to do." He said, raising the gnome above his head, he started to swing it around in circles like a cowboy would with a lasso.   
Daisy looked at him, mouth open.   
"It doesn't hurt them." He said, "you've just got to make them really dizzy so they cant find their way back to their gnomeholes." He let the gnomes ankles go and it flew twenty feet in the air and landed with a thud over the hedge.   
"Pitiful." Fred said, "I bet I can make mine go beyond the stump."   
Daisy moved to sit under a tree and watched the boys catch and throw the gnomes, but the first one Harry caught bit him on the finger, Harry had a hard time shaking it off until-   
"Wow, Harry, that must've been fifty feet..."  
"See they're not to bright." George said, catching five or six gnomes at once. "The moment they know de-gnoming is going on they storm up to look. You'd think they'd have learned by now just to stay put."   
But soon the gnomes in the field started walking away with their shoulders hunched.  
"They'll be back." Ron said, watching the gnomes disappear. "They love it here, dad's to soft with them, he thinks their funny."  
Just then the front door slammed shut.   
"He's back!" George said. "Dad's home!"   
The Weasley boys rushed off towards the house. Daisy extended her arms out, Harry helped her off the grass and they followed their friends inside.   
Mr Weasley was slumped in the kitchen chair with his glasses off and eyes closed. He was a thin man, going bald but the hair he had was red like the rest of his family, he wore long green robes that were dusty and travel-worn.   
"What a night." He mumbled, grabbing the teapot as they sat around him. "Nine raids. Nine! And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me when I had my back turned..." Mr Weasley took a long sip of his tea and sighed.   
"Find anything dad?" Fred asked, eagerly.   
"All I got were a few shrinking door-keys and a biting kettle." He said with a yawn. "There was some pretty nasty stuff that wasn't my department, though. Mortlake was taken away for questioning about some extremely odd ferrets, but that's the Committee on Experimental Charms, thank goodness..."   
"Why would anyone bother making door-keys shrink?" George asked.   
"Just muggle-baiting." He sighed, "sell them a key that keeps shrinking to nothing so they can never find it when they need it...of course, its very hard to convict anyone because no muggle would admit their key keeps shrinking, they'll insist they just keep losing it. Bless them, they'll go any lengths to ignore magic, even if its staring them in the face, but the things our lot have taken to enchanting, you wouldn't believe-"  
"LIKE CARS FOR INSTANCE?" Mrs Weasley had appeared, holding a long poker like a sword, Mr Weasley's eyes jerked open. He stared guiltily at his wife. "C-cars, Molly, dear?"   
"Yes, Arthur, cars." Mrs Weasley said, "imagine a wizard buying a rusty old car and telling his wife all he wanted to do with it was take it apart to see how it worker, while really he was enchanting it to make it fly."   
Mr Weasley blinked, "well dear, I think you'll find that he would be quite within the law to do that, even if er, he maybe would have done better to, um, tell his wife the truth...theres a loophole in the law, you'll find...as long as he  
wasn't intending to fly the car, the fact that the car could fly wouldn't-"  
"Arthur Weasley! You made sure there was a loophole when you wrote that law!" Mrs Weasley shouted. "Just so you could carry on tinkering with all that muggle rubbish in your shed! And for your information, Harry and his cousin Daisy arrived this morning in that car you weren't attending to fly!   
"Harry? Daisy?" Mr Weasley said blankly. He looked around and saw Daisy and her cousin.   
"Good lord, is it Harry Potter? Very pleased to meet you, Ron's told us so much about you-"  
"Your sons flew that car to their house and back last night!"   
"Did you really?" Mr Weasley said, eagerly. "Did it go alright? I-I mean..." he faltered, meeting his wife's glare. "That was very wrong boys, very wrong indeed."   
"Lets leave them too it." Ron muttered to Harry. "C'mon I'll show you my bedroom."   
They slipped out of the kitchen and down a narrow passage way to an uneven staircase which zigzaged its way up through the house.   
"I'll introduce you to Ginny, Daisy." Ron said, and started up the stairs. On the third landing a door was ajar. Daisy caught sight of a pair of bright brown eyes.   
"Ginny, this is Daisy. Daisy this is my younger sister Ginny, she's starting school this year too." He gently nudged the blonde towards the door.   
"Well go on."   
She looked back at Ginny who opened the door enough for her to slip inside.


	3. Floo Powder

Life at the Burrow was as different as possible from their lives in Privet Drive. Her parents liked everything neat and orderly, the Weasley's house was a burst of the strange and unexpected.  
She stayed in Ginny's room and found her company enjoyable.  
Ginny would tell her about the wizarding world and in return Daisy would tell her story's about growing up with Harry.  
"Who are the Weird Sisters?" She asked, looking at her posters.  
"They're a band and they're good too." She went over and put on a record. Daisy sat and listened.  
"I like that."  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah its nice."  
Mrs Weasley called them all down for lunch just then, Daisy put her walkman down on the bed and followed Ginny downstairs. 

-  
Daisy liked staying at the Burrow, but she really enjoyed helping Mrs Weasley in the garden, she began to teach the young witch about magical plants and flowers and Daisy explained that she kept a ton of different plants in her bedroom and tended to her family's garden.  
"Hogwarts has a class I think you might enjoy, dear."  
"Really? Harry was telling me about the classes there, potions, charms...the dark arts one..."  
"Defence Against the Dark Arts, dear."  
"Thats quite a mouthful, so what's this class? Does it have to do with gardening?"  
"In a way, its called Herbology. Its the study of magical and mundane plants and fungi."  
"Oh! Muggle schools have a class like that too, we call it horticulture."  
Mrs Weasley smiled and took her guarding gloves off.  
"Would you like to help me with breakfast?"  
"Sure." Daisy stood up and wiped the grass and dirt off her knees. Looking at her hands she went to wash them.  
Ron and Harry were the last ones to show up for breakfast, Daisy was confused about the letters. "Harry and I got ours weeks ago." She said in confusion taking the letter from Mr Weasley.  
"He must have known you'd lost them, doesn't miss anything, that man."  
Harry and Ron came bounding down the stairs. When Ginny saw Harry she accidentally knocked over her bowl of porridge. Ginny seemed quite accident prone whenever her cousin entered the room. She dove under the table to retrieve the bowl and resurfaced with her face as red as her hair. Harry sat down and took the toast Mrs Weasley offered him.  
"Letters from school." Mr Weasley said, handing them the envelopes.  
"But Daisy and I already got ours."  
"Dumbledore must have noticed we left them." Daisy said nibbling on her jam covered toast.  
Fred peered at Harry's list. "You've been told to get all Lockhart's books too!" He said. "The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan, bet its a witch." Fred caught his mothers eye and busied himself with the marmalade.  
"The lot wont come cheap." George said, "Lockhart's books are really expensive."  
"Well we'll manage. I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things second-hand."  
Ron's eldest brother came downstairs, already dressed and prefect badge pinned to his shirt. "Morning all." He said, "lovely day." He sat down in the only available chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling a moulting grey feather duster out from under him, or that's what Daisy thought it was until it started breathing.  
"Errol!" Ron said, taking the owl from Percy and taking the letter out from under his wing.  
"Finally, he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue Harry from the Dursley's. I didn't tell her about you though."  
"Hermione is a friend?"  
"Yeah."  
Ron read the letter out loud, she said in her letter that she was worried about Harry and hopes he's okay, and wants Ron to write to her but with a different owl. She also said that she'll be in Diagon Alley next Wednesday and suggested they meet up.  
"Well that fits nicely, we can go and get all your things then too." Mrs Weasley said. "What are you all up too today?"  
"The boys were planning on going up the hill to a small paddock the Weasley's owned. Daisy asked if she could join them, she was curious about flying. Ron didn't see why not.  
They couldn't use real quidditch balls so they used apples instead, all the boys took turns on Harry's broom.  
They took a break so he could teach his cousin how to fly a broom.  
"Stand to the left of the broom." He instructed.  
"Okay, now what?"  
"Put your right hand over the broom and say up."  
"Up." She said, there was a little movement.  
"Try again."  
"Up." It lifted off the ground and almost touched her hand before dropping.  
Daisy groaned and furrowed her brows in concentration.  
"Up!" She said again, the broom flew upwards and she caught it in her hands, she squealed excitedly and turned to her cousin.  
"I did it!"  She looked at the broom. "Now what?"  
"Mount it." Harry said, Daisy felt a burst of nervousness. "How..."  
"Like you would a see-saw, DeDe."  
DeDe, Harry hasn't called her DeDe since they were three and four years old.  
She climbed onto the broom and held it tightly.  
"Now kick off and come back down."  
She followed his instructions, she screamed a little when her feet left the ground.  
"How do I get down?"  
The boys laughed and Harry helped her down, he continued to teach her for a while longer, even teaching her how to play quidditch. 

                                          -  
Mrs Weasley woke them all early that Wednesday morning. 

Daisy rubbed her eyes and fell off the little bed Mrs Weasley set up in Ginny's room for her. Yawning she went over to the little drawer she was given and pulled out what she was going to wear for her first trip to Diagon Alley. She picked a button front midi skirt with a belted tie, beige t-shirt and her brown boots. Her blonde hair fell straight down her back, however she still couldn't seem to get all the dirt out from under her finger nails, she just guessed that's what comes with working with dirt. 

After a half dozen bacon sandwiches each they pulled on their coats, Daisy forgot to bring her's so she just put on a thick white jumper. Mrs Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.  
"We're running low Arthur." She said with a sigh. "We'll have to buy some more today...ah well, guests first! After you Harry, dear." She offered him the flowerpot.  
"W-what am I supposed to do?" He stammered.  
"He's never traveled by floo powder." Ron said suddenly. "Sorry Harry, I forgot."  
"Never?" Mr Weasley asked. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"  
"I went on the Underground-"  
"Really?" Mr Weasley said eagerly. "Were there escapators? How exactly-"  
"Not now, Arthur." Mrs Weasley said. "Floo powder is a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before, I know Daisy is probably quite confused as to what floo powder is-"  
"They'll be fine, mum." Fred said, "watch us first." He took a pinch of the glittering powder from the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire and threw the powder into the flames. The fire turned emerald green and Fred stepped right into it, he shouted "Diagon Alley!" And vanished.  
"You must speak clearly, dears." Mrs Weasley said as George dipped his own hand in the pot. "And mind you get at the right grate.."  
"The right what?" Daisy said, peering around Mrs Weasley to see George disappear.  
"Well are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know but as long as you've spoken clearly-"  
"They'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss." Mr Weasley said, helping himself to the floo powder.  
"But if they get lost, how would we explain it to the Dursleys?"  
"They wouldn't mind." Harry reassured her.  
"Yeah, they'd be thrilled to know that we're gone." Daisy said with a small smile.  
"Well...alright...Daisy you go after Arthur and Harry you'll follow." Mrs Weasley said, "now when you get into the fire and say where your going-"  
"And keep your elbows tucked in." Ron advised.  
"And your eyes shut, the soot-"  
"Don't fidget, or you might fall out of the wrong fireplace-"  
"But don't panic and get out to early, wait until you see Fred and George."  
Daisy nodded and took a pinch of floo powder and threw it into the fireplace and stepped into the green flames, it didn't burn, it felt like a warm breeze.  
"Diagon Alley!" She said loudly.  
She felt like she was being sucked down a giant plug, like when you empty the bathtub after a bath. She felt like she was spinning very fast. When the spinning stopped she opened Her eyes she saw Mr Weasley, George and Fred smiling back at her.  
They waited for Harry but he didn't come though, Ron was next then Ginny, Percy and Mrs Weasley.  
Harry never came through, Daisy started to get worried but she was sure that he was somewhere in Diagon Alley, so she and the Weasley's went to Gringotts, listening to Mrs Weasley speaking frantically, worried sick about her cousin.  
When they arrived Hermione was talking to Harry and a very large shaggy man in a moleskin coat.  
"Harry." Mr Weasley said, catching his breath. "We hoped you'd only go a grate to far, Molly's frantic, she's coming now."  
"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.  
"Knockturn Alley." The giant man said grimly.  
"Brilliant!" Fred and George said together.  
"We've never been allowed in." Ron said, a little envious.  
"I should ruddy well think not." The man growled.  
Harry looked at his cousin who was staring at the giant curiously, like she recognized him.  
"Oh, I should probably...um Daisy you remember Hagrid."  
"Hagrid?" After a moment of thought her eyes went wide and she smiled. "Oh! Hagrid! I remember now!"  
"Its Daisy innit?"  
"Yes, that's me."  
"Blimey, when I last saw yer, yer came up to Harry's shoulder yer did."  
"I've grown in the past year."  
"Barely." Harry teased, she smacked him on the shoulder.  
"What are yer doing here anyway?" Hagrid asked.  
"I got a letter." She said, twirling her skirt in her hands.  
"Did yer now?"  
"Yeah, it was kind of a shock-"  
Mrs Weasley found them, handbag swinging widely in her hand, Ginny holding onto the other.  
"Oh, Harry..oh my dear..you could have been anywhere.." gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush from her handbag and started to brush away the soot on Harry's clothes. Mr Weasley took Harry's glasses and gave them a tap with his wand and returned them, good as new.  
"Well, gotta be off." Hagrid said. "See yer at Hogwarts." He strode away.  
"So this is Daisy." Hermione said, she had loads of bushy brown hair, brown eyes and large front teeth.  
"Yes, thats me, you must be Hermione."  
Hermione extended her hand and Daisy took it.  
"Nice to meet you."  
"Likewise."  
They began to climb the banks steps.  
"Guess who I saw at Borgin and Burkes, Malfoy and his father." Harry said.  
"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" Mr Weasley asked.  
"No, he was selling."  
"So he's worried." Said Mr Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something..."  
"You be careful, Arthur." Mrs Weasley said from behind them as they were ushered into the bank by a bowing goblin at the door. "That family's trouble, don't go biting off more than you can chew."  
"You don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" He said, but he became distracted when he saw Hermione's parents who stood nervously at the counter, that ran along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.  
Mr Weasley was delighted. "But you're muggles! We must have a drink! Whats that you've got there? Oh, your changing muggle money? Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly to the pound notes Mr Granger had in his hand.  
A goblin came by to take them down to the underground vaults.  
"Meet you back here." Ron told Hermione. Daisy followed them down.  
The vaults were reached by goblin-driven carts. They stopped at the Weasley's vault first. Inside was a small pile of sickles and a galleon, Mrs Weasley swept them up into her bag. When they got to Harry's vault he tried to keep all the contents out of view as he hastily shoved coins into a leather bag.  
When they left the bank they all separated. Percy said something about a new quill, Fred and George had spotted a friend of theirs named Lee Jordon, Mrs Weasley and Ginny were off to the second hand robe shop, Mr Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers for a drink at the Leaky Cauldron.  
"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your school books." Mrs Weasley said, leaving with Ginny in tow. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" She shouted.  
The four of them started down the winding cobble street. Harry had bought them all strawberry and peanut butter ice creams which they ate happily while Harry made stops at Madame Malkin's for Daisy and Olivanders, her wand was willow with unicorn hair core and was about 12 inches in length and was reasonably pliant.  
They wandered around the alley, looking in shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of a store called 'Quality Quidditch Supplies.' Until Hermione pulled them away to buy ink and parchment.  
An hour later they headed in Flourish and Blotts. To their surprise they weren't the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd outside the doors, trying to get inside. The reason was proclaimed on a large banner across the upper windows. 

GILDEROY LOCKHART  
will be signing copies of his autobiography  
MAGICAL ME  
today 12.30 - 4.30 pm 

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed, "I mean, he's written almost the entire booklist!"  
The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs Weasley's age. A harassed looking wizard stood at the door, "calmly, please ladies...don't push, there...mind the books now..."  
The four of them squeezed inside the bookshop, they found the Weasley's standing in line with Hermione's parents.  
"Oh there you are, good." Mrs Weasley said, sounding breathless and patting at her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute.."  
Gilderoy Lockhart came into view, seated at a table surrounded by large photographs of his own face all winking and flashing smiles.  
Lockhart was wearing robes of blue to match his eyes and his hat was sat on an angle on his wavy hair. A short irritable looking man was taking pictures with a big black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every photo.  
"Out of the way there." He snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet."  
"Big deal." Ron said, rubbing his foot where the man had stepped on it.  
Lockhart heard him, he looked at Ron but his eyes traveled to Harry. He stood up and shouted, "it cant be, Harry Potter?"  
The crowd parted and started whispering excitedly. Lockhart moved forward and grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him forwards towards the front. The crowd around Daisy burst into applause. But Daisy was confused, since when was Harry famous? Why didn't he tell her?  
She coughed when the photographer took a photo right beside her. She waved the smoke away and looked up front.  
"Ladies and gentlemen." Lockhart said loudly. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time! When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography, which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge." The crowd applauded again. "He had no idea." Lockhart continued, shaking Harry a little, it made his glasses slip to the end of his nose.  
"That he would shortly be getting much more than my book, Magical Me, he and his school fellows will, in fact, be getting the real, magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen. I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"


	4. Platform Nine and Three Quarters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said this was book-based but I will be using the movie uniforms, because I like them better.

Harry was presented with every book Lockhart had written, he slithered away from the limelight to the edge of the room and put the books into Ginny's cauldron.   
Daisy went off with Ron and Hermione, holding onto the galleons Harry gave her. Hermione helped her with the books she needed.  
Ron looked over at Harry. "Uh-oh." He said. Daisy turned around after Hermione placed a copy of 'Hogwarts: A History.' On her already large pile of books.   
"What?" She asked.   
"Malfoy." Ron said, he talked about Malfoy like he was something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "C'mon."   
The three of them fought their way over to Harry and Ginny.   
"Malfoy." Ron said, "bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"   
"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley." He said in retort. "I suppose your parents will have to go hungry for a month to pay for that lot."   
Ron went as red as his hair and dropped his books in the cauldron Ginny was holding. He went to charge for Malfoy but Daisy and Hermione grabbed him by the back of his jacket.   
"Ron!" Daisy turned around, Mr Weasley was struggling to get over with Fred and George.   
"What are you doing? Its mad in here, lets go outside."   
"Well, well, well, Arthur Weasley." It was Malfoy's father, Lucius Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder.   
"Lucius." Mr Weasley said, nodding coldly.   
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear." Mr Malfoy said. "All those raids, I hope they're paying overtime?" He reached into the cauldron Ginny was holding and pulled out a very old and battered copy of 'A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration.'   
"Obviously not." He said, "dear me, whats the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"   
Mr Weasley went a shade of red that was darker than any of his children.   
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."   
"Clearly." Mr Malfoy said, his pale eyes moved to Hermione's parents who were watching the situation. "The company you keep, Weasley...and I thought your family could sink no lower-"   
There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying. Mr Weasley had thrown himself at Mr Malfoy, knocking him into a bookshelf. Dozens of books fell down around them or fell on their heads.   
"Get him, dad!" Fred and George yelled.   
Mrs Weasley was shrieking, "no, Arthur, no!"  
The next couple moments were a blur for Daisy, there was a lot of shouting, then Hagrid came in and broke the two men apart.   
Mr Weasley's lip was split and Mr Weasley had been hit in the eye by a fallen encyclopedia of toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's book, he thrust it towards her, eyes glistening with malice. "Here girl, take your book, its the best your father can give you." Pulling himself from the giants grip he beckoned Draco forward and left the shop.   
"Yeh should have ignored him, Arthur." Hagrid said, almost lifting Mr Weasley off his feet to straighten his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. No Malfoy's worth listenin' ter. Bad blood, that's what it is. Come on now, lets get outta here."   
The group hurried up the street, The Grangers were shaken and Mrs Weasley was very angry.   
"A fine example to set for your children...brawling in public...what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought.."  
"He was pleased." Fred said. "Asked the reporter if he'd work the fight into his report, said it was all publicity."   
The group made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron where they would travel back to the Burrow using Floo Powder. Hermione and her parents left the pub for the muggle streets outside the door. Daisy went before Harry again, she reminded him to tuck his glasses in his pocket so they wouldn't get broken again. 

                                          -   
By the time summer drew to a close, Daisy had completely deweeded the Weasley's garden and read 1000 magical herbs and fungi at least three times front to back. Mrs Weasley was right, she was going to enjoy that Herbology.   
Mrs Weasley had to put an extendable charm on Daisy's and Ginny's trunk because of the amount of books they had, the had double the amount then the others.   
As well as reading 1000 magical herbs and fungi she also read Hogwarts: A History, a book Hermione recommended. Ron also told her about the houses at Hogwarts.   
She didn't known where she belonged, it all seemed quite complicated. But she knew she didn't want to be in Slytherin, that was for sure.   
On their last night, Mrs Weasley conjured up a scrumptious feast of all their favourites with a treacle pudding for dessert. Fred and George rounded off the evening with a firework display. They filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced off the ceiling to the wall for about half an hour. After that it was a cup of hot chocolate and off to bed. 

Mrs Weasley woke them up right at the crack of dawn, yet it took a long while to get sorted in the morning. Daisy wore a yellow jumper under an overall dress. Her boots were kept by the front door with the others. Mrs Weasley was in a bad mood looking for socks and quills. Weasley's kept colliding on the stairs half dressed with toast in their hands. Daisy was sitting, ready with her own toast. Mr Weasley almost broke his neck tripping over a chicken while carrying Ginny's trunk to the car. He came back inside, out of breath.   
"Daisy, you ready?"   
"Yes."   
She put her half eaten breakfast on the table and followed Mr Weasley outside. She couldn't see how nine people, seven large trunks two owls and a rat fit into one small car.   
"Not a word to Molly." Mr Weasley whispered to her, he opened the trunk to show her the trunk had been magically expanded so that the trunks fit easily.   
When they were all in the car Mrs Weasley glanced towards the backseat where Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Percy were all sitting comfortably in the backseat. She, Ginny and Daisy got into the front seat which had stretched so that it resembled a park bench. "Muggles do know more than we give them credit for, don't they? I mean you'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"   
Mr Weasley started the engine and they trundled out of the yard, Daisy turning back for a last look at the house she barely had time to wonder when she'd see it again when they were back. George forgotten his box of fireworks, Ginny shrieked about her diary.   
By the time they all clambered back into the car they were running late and tempers were high.   
"Molly, dear-"  
"No, Arthur."   
"No one would see. This little button here is an invisibility booster, that'd get us up in the air, then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser..."   
"I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight." 

They reached Kings Cross at quarter to eleven. Mr Weasley dashed to get trolly's for their trunks and they hurried into the station.   
They arrived at platform nine and three quarters, Mrs Weasley explained how Daisy had to walk or in this case, run, straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten.   
"Percy first."   
He walked briskly for the barrier and vanished. Mr Weasley went afterwards and Fred and George followed.   
"I'll take Ginny and Daisy, and you two come right after us." Mrs Weasley told Harry and Ron. Daisy went in from of them and rushed for the platform, the three were gone in the blink of an eye.   
A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to the platform packed with people who were rushing around and about. A sign overhead read, 'Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock.'   
Smoke from the engine drifted over her head. Daisy took in everything around her, there were cats of every colour, owls hooted at the chatter and scraping of heavy trunks.   
"Daisy, dear." Mrs Weasley called, she pushed her trolly forward to catch up.   
"Wheres Harry and Ron?" She asked.   
"I'm sure they'll catch up or are already on the train. Now c'mon, lets get you seated."   
They struggled to find empty compartments.   
Ginny and Daisy were at the back of the train. Inside the compartment was a girl with dirty blonde hair and silvery eyes.   
"Hi, do you mind? Everywhere else is full."  
"I don't mind." She said, her voice was soft and welcoming and held a dreamlike quality.   
Daisy and Ginny put their trunks in the compartment and sat across from the girl.   
"I'm Luna Lovegood."   
"I'm Daisy Dursley and this is my friend Ginny Weasley."  
Luna hummed. "I'm going to call you Dizzy."   
"Dizzy?"   
"Is that alright?"  
"Dizzy is fine."   
Daisy noticed her earrings and smiled.   
"I like your earrings."   
"Thank you, they're made from real strawberries."  
"Really?"  
Luna nodded. "Mm-hmm." 

The trolly witch came by not long after they left the platform.   
"Anything off the trolly, dears?"   
Luna and Daisy stood up to inspect the treats that were available. Daisy turned towards Ginny and nodded forward.   
"I haven't any money."   
Daisy took her hand and reached into the front pocket on he overall dress and pressed a couple galleons into her palm.   
"Where did you get these?" She inquired.   
"Harry."   
"Oh."   
She turned back to the trolly witch. "I'll have a chocolate wand."  
"Two sickles, dear."   
With her treat in hand she sat back down again. Ginny had gotten a couple cauldron cakes and a chocolate frog.   
"Ron collects the cards."   
"Speaking of Ron, and Harry, I wonder where they are."  
"Somewhere on the train, probably."   
Daisy wasn't entirely convinced but she nodded.  
They spent the ride talking and getting to know Luna, she was quirky and a little odd but Daisy liked her company.   
A voice echoed through the train. "We will be reaching Hogsmeade station in 5 minutes. Leave all luggage on the train."  
"We should change." Daisy said, Ginny nodded in agreement.

The train stopped with a screech of the tracks. Older students opened the doors for the first year students. Standing outside with a lamp was Hagrid. "Right, then! First years! This way, please! Come on, now, don't be shy! Come on now, hurry up!" He said. "This way to the boats! Come on, now, follow me."   
Daisy looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of her cousin but didn't see him. Ginny grabbed her hand and they followed Hagrid down a path that led to the edge of the lake. Perched on a hill across the lake was a castle with many turrets and towers, the windows sparkled like the stars in the sky.   
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of small brown boats.   
Daisy picked one, Ginny and Luna followed her into the boat.   
"Everyone in?" The giant man asked. "Right then, forward!"   
All the boats pushed forward at the same time. Daisy giggled, she was giddy with excitement.   
When they reached shore Hagrid walked up to the castle and raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. 

The door swung open at once. A tall black haired witch in emerald green robes stood there. She had a very stern face, Daisy thought it best not to cross her.   
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said.   
"Thank you, Hagrid, I'll take them from here." She pulled the door open wider. The entrance hall was so big, Daisy swore her entire home could fit in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones she saw at Gringotts, the ceiling was to high to make out, Daisy stared at the stone staircases that led up to the upper floors.   
They followed McGonagall across the stoned floor. Daisy could hear hundreds of muffled voices from a doorway to the right. Instead of going in McGonagall led them to an empty chamber off the hall where they crowded in.   
"Welcome to Hogwarts." She said. "The start of term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here your house will be like your family. You will have classes with the rest of your houses, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you're at Hogwarts your triumphs will earn your house points, any rule breaking and you will lose house points. At the end of the year the house with the most points is awarded the house cup. The sorting ceremony will take place in a few moments in front of the rest of the school. I shall return when we are ready for you." She turned and left the chamber.   
Ginny reached for Daisy's hand. She took her hand.   
"Where do you think you'll be sorted? I already know I'm going to be in Gryffindor. That's where all my family is."   
"I don't know, I'm cool with any house really. I mean its already cool that I can do magic." She said with a smile. "Well, you know, as long as its not Slytherin."   
They stood around for what seemed like forever, until McGonagall came to collect them. "Now form a line, and follow me."   
They walked from the chamber, down the hall and to the double doors of the great hall.   
"Wow!" Daisy said in an excited whisper.   
The hall was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which floated above four long tables where the rest of the students were sitting, the tables were laid with golden plates and goblets. At the front of the hall was another long table where the the teachers sat. McGonagall lead the first years up there. They came to a halt in a line facing the other students. McGonagall silently placed a four legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool sat a pointed wizards hat. The hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Daisy was sure her mother would never let that hat in the house, under any circumstances. The hall went silent and the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened like a mouth and it began to sing.   
"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"  
The whole hall burst into applause when the hat finished. It bowed to each table and became silent again.   
Professor McGonagall came forward holding a long roll of parchment.   
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." She said. Daisy listened for her name, every few minutes the hat shouted a house. One of the students that were called bumped into her on his way up.   
"Sorry." He said. His name was Collin Creevey and he was in Gryffindor. Daisy was slowly becoming nervous, what if she put the hat on and nothing happened? What if she wasn't chosen? What if the hat just stayed silent until it was ripped from her head and there was a mistake and she had to go back on the train?   
Finally McGonagall got to D, she was at the end of the list.   
"Dursley, Daisy!"   
Daisy stepped forward and put the hat on her head before sitting down. The hat drooped over her eyes and she sat there nervously, she could hear the hat humming in her ears. He came to a decision rather quickly.   
"HUFFLEPUFF!" It yelled. When the hat came off her head she could hear the applause from the Hufflepuff table much clearer. She stepped away from the stool and walked over yo the table and sat down. She was bombarded with handshakes and pats on the back. The Hufflepuff table was in front of the Gryffindor table but was third from the doors.   
She scanned the entire Gryffindor table and spotted all the Weasley's but no Ron or Harry, her eyebrows furrowed together but she heard Luna's name, her attention was drawn to the stool, her friend Luna was sorted into Ravenclaw. Ginny was still standing up there, her name would be near the end, and when it as called she was placed into Gryffindor right away.   
She sat by the wall so the two could look at each other.   
When the sorting was over and done, McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the stool away.   
Their headmaster, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet. "Welcome!" He said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sat back down. The hall applauded, Daisy didn't known if she should laugh or not so she just joined in.   
"Hi! I'm Justin." A boy said beside her, Daisy turned to face him and smiled, he had brown curly hair and wore a black and yellow tie.   
"Daisy." She said.   
Justin smiled at her, "potatoes, Daisy?"  
"Huh?" She asked confused, the dishes in front of her were now piled with food, she'd never seen so many things she'd like to eat on one table, roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, and lamb chops. There was boiled potatoes, bacon, sausages, steak, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, peas, corn, carrots, ketchup for some odd reason.   
Daisy started to pile a little bit of everything onto her plate.   
As she ate she made conversation with Justin, he introduced her to his friends, Ernie, Hannah and Susan. He told her that he was muggle-born, and Daisy got excited, "so am I." She said.   
"Really?"  
"Yeah." Daisy confirmed, a tad distracted, looking around the Gryffindor table.   
"Who are you looking for?"  
"My cousin."  
"Cousin?"  
"Harry." She said simply and nibbled on a but of Yorkshire pudding.   
"Harry? As in Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?"  
"Yes, him." Daisy noticed McGonagall and Snape get up from the table and leave the hall.  
Justin went into rapid fire questions, Daisy was taken by surprise so she just answered yes or no, to the questions she could understand. After a while the remains of the food disappeared and it was replaced with puddings. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could possibly think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs, jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, et cetera.   
Daisy helped herself to some trifle and strawberries before her attention was stolen by Susan Bones.  
At last the puddings too disappeared and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. "Just a few more words now that we're all fed. I have a few start of term notices to give you. First year students should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of or older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr Filch to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will he held the second week of term. Anyone interested on playing for their house teams should see Madam Hooch. And now before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words. "Everyone pick their favourite tune." Dumbledore said. "And off we go!"   
The school started to sing.   
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
Teach us something please,  
Whether we be old and bald,  
Or young with scabby knees,  
Our heads could do with filling,  
With some interesting stuff,  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
So teach us things worth knowing,  
Bring back what we've forgot,  
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
And learn until our brains all rot."


End file.
